Method and apparatus for providing runout compensation

A method of providing runout compensation for wobble present in the measurements made of the spatial orientation of a vehicle wheel relative to the camber and toe planes, including the following steps:

• providing a pair of sensors angularly related to each other and with the sensors rotatably coupled to the wheel and pendulously supported with respect thereto substantially about the axis of rotation of said wheel for providing signals representative of the measurements of the angular orientation of the wheel relative to the camber and the toe planes,
• rotating the wheel through a plurality of rotary positions for providing signals representative of the measurement of the angular orientation of the wheel relative to the camber and to the toe planes at the different rotary positions,
• producing a first runout compensation signal for providing compensation for the wobble in the orientation of the wheel relative to one of the planes in accordance with the measurements at the different rotary positions in the one plane, and
• producing a second runout compensation signal for providing compensation for the wobble in the orientation of the wheel relative to the other of the planes in accordance with the measurements at the different rotary positions in the one plane and with the measurements in the one plane used to provide runout compensation for wobble present in both planes.

An apparatus for providing runout compensation for wobble present in the measurements made of the orientation of a rotary body relative to at least a pair of planes, including

• at least a pair of sensors angularly related to each other and with the sensors including means for rotatably coupling them to the body so that they are pendulously supported with respect thereto substantially about the axis of rotation of the body, said sensors including means for producing signals representative of the measurements of the angular orientation of the rotary body at a plurality of rotary positions of the body and with the measurements being relative to at least the pair of planes, and
• means coupled to the pair of sensors and responsive to the signals representative of the measurements of the rotary body at the plurality of rotary positions for producing a first output signal representative of the orientation of the body relative to one of the planes in accordance with the measurements at the different positions in the one plane and with the measurements in the one plane providing a runout compensation for wobble present in the measurements and wherein the means produces a second output signal representative of the orientation of the body relative to the other of the planes in accordance with the measurements at the different positions in the other plane and with the measurements in the one plane providing a runout compensation for wobble present in the measurements in the other plane.